


Last One Standing

by AMac0218



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 19:57:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1482046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMac0218/pseuds/AMac0218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short little one shot about Daryl finding Beth after the finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last One Standing

Daryl had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the steel wall of the boxcar, his shoulder propped against it as he watched Rick and Glenn pace around each other. “Will ya’ll cool it? Makin me dizzy,” he said as he shook his head and moved so his back was flat against the wall now, eyes closed. The footsteps stopped however, which he was greatful for. “Now that you’re feet ain’t movin, how about we come up with a way to get outta here?”

‘What do you think I was trying to do?’ Glenn asked.

“Walk in circles til you wear a hole in the floor?” Daryl shot back at him, shrugging his shoulders.

Glenn rolled his eyes, causing the redneck to smirk before he shook his head a little, “Look we’ve been in worse situations and gotten out of it, half by luck and half by ass kickin…so don’t sweat this. Once someone comes to either give us food or water….they open the door we rush ‘em…There ain’t no way they can take us all and they ain’t gonna fire a gun off in here cause it might ricochet.”

Rick nodded in agreement, ‘I don’t think that they’d take that chance..,’ he said quietly. "And judging by how they acted before while shooting at us, they don't want us dead. Not yet."

Once the plans were set, everyone settled down, going off to their own tiny spaces. Eventually the group fell asleep, having one person on watch at all times, and at the moment it was Daryl’s shift. He sighed as he let his head hit against the wall gently, just giving himself something to do. He stilled and closed his eyes, drifting off a little. While he dozed, he kept getting bits and pieces of what happened with Beth. He saw the back of the car as it peeled off, and he ran after it. A hit to the shoulder had him up in a heart beat, practically growling as he fisted his hands, ready to fight whoever had touched him.

"The Hell do you think you're doin?"He was surprised when he saw Maggie sit next to him.

‘You were saying her name in your sleep…,’ she said quietly, her voice filled with sadness. ‘Beth’s.’

“Oh,” he grunted, though he didn't comment or apologize. He had nothing to apologize for, so he wouldn’t.

‘What happened to her?’

He sighed, running his hand over his face as he lifted one shoulder and let it fall, “We got out…we survived for a bit…then a pack of walkers got into the funeral place were bunked up in and we got separated…told her to run, stayed to fight, got out..and when I did…she was gone,” he shrugged. “A car drove off…had a cross on the back window…tinted…didn’t catch the plate, not that it’d matter.” His voice was clipped, guarded and bitter. “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sorry for speaking her name, but he was sorry for losing her. “I’m gonna get her back.”

‘Don’t,’ Maggie stopped him. ‘Don’t make promises…I don’t want the false hope…I've had enough of that already.’

“Alright.” He pulled his legs up, resting his arms on his knees. “Why don’t you try and grab some shut eye?” he glanced over at her. “Probably need it.”

She nodded as she stood and made her way back to Glenn.

A few hours later, he figured it had been that long since Rick never slept for more than a three or four hours, he was relieved of his post and sighed as he laid down in an empty area, back against the steel wall, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes shut and he drifted, this time keeping his jaw tight until he completely lost consciousness.

The next time he woke up, it was because there was a bang on the outside of the boxcar. Darly was on his feet along with everyone else. “Everyone awake?” he asked. Rick pushed Carl into the back of the group, the ex-sheriff taking the lead, Darly to the right of him, Glenn and the new red head to his left. Once the door opened, Daryl reached out and grabbed the face of the nearest person, pulling him into the dark box, taking care of what he needed to while the others did the same. They managed to disarm everyone they needed to disarm and picked up the weapons they had come in with. Darly threw a gun over his shoulder, “Alright….saddle up,” he called back as Rick got Carl situated again. “Head on a swivel…like we’ve done it a thousand times.”

He pushed his shoulder against the door of the boxcar and got out, back against the steel so he knew nothing was behind him. He looked up at the rooftops, surprised that there weren’t any snipers. Luck seemed to be on their side again, at least for the time being. He waved out everyone else and watched as Rick gave the hand signals, watching as he said to split up, him and Rick and Carl and Michonne, Maggie, Glenn and the new group. The split off, planning to randevue over the fence in an hour. They made their way through without being seen, stilling as a smell filled the air. Daryl’s stomach growled on instinct, as well as the other three in the party.

‘What is that?’ Carl asked. ‘I’m starving…,’ he said quietly.

Daryl shook his head, “I dunno….but it don’t smell like any meat I’ve ever cooked,” he mumbled, the smell making him uncomfortable.

‘Come on,’ Rick said as he urged them to move.

“I gotta find where they keep the weapons…I need my crossbow, and I know you want your sword,” he looked over at Michonne. “You guys get over the fence, we’ll meet you where you buried the duffle when we’re done.”

Rick nodded and pulled Carl along with him as Daryl went off to find what they were looking for. Two hours later he pushed open yet another door, expecting it to be emtpy like all the other rooms, instead it was filled with weapons. “There she is,” he smiled as he went over and picked up the crossbow, putting it on his shoulder, along with the arrows. He watched as his partner picked up her sword, and grabbed a few more guns that belonged to the others before they headed off again.

“Hey hold up,” he said as he held out a hand, stilling when he saw an older beat up car with a tinted window and a cross etched across it. “Sons of bitches,” he growled as he gripped the gun in his hand. “They took her.” He fought the urge to fire the gun up in the air and demand to know where they had taken Beth.

‘Daryl,’ Michonne reached for his arm, causing the man to rip it away.

“No, you ain’t talkin me outta this,” he shook his head. “You go ahead if you want, tell Rick I’ll be there when I can.” He jogged off, not bothering to retrace his steps because he hadn’t heard anything on the way up, and they hadn’t found anyone in any of the rooms.

He started to feel desperation set in after an hour of the same thing. Empty rooms. He also knew that the people they knocked out back at the car would more than likely be waking up, if they hadn’t already. He heard feet running at him, and he quickly ducked behind a trash can, watching as two men with ARs ran past him. He pulled in a breath and ran the other direction, clenching his teeth and breathing hard through his nose. He a small shed like shack that was pushed up against the far corner of the compound, the outside rotted and delapatated. He furrowed his brows as he notied drag marks that lead away from the door. He took a look around him before he touched the door handle, noting the pad lock that clamped the door shut. “Dammit,” he mumbled to himself. He took the end of the gun he had and slammed it down a few times, stilling half way through to listen for anyone coming his way. He sighed as he slammed the gun down a few times, knowing he permanently damaged it, but not really caring. The lock twisted and he pulled it, tossing it over his shoulder as he opened the sheet metal door. He spotted a few people, and huddled in a ball in the middle was a mess of blonde hair, her knees pulled up to her chest, forehad resting on them. “Beth,” he called for her, not wanting to wake up the others. He needed as little people as possible to notice him and try and escape. “Beth,” he said her name again, his voice a hard whisper.

He was getting ready to call her name again when a blow hit him on his shoulder causing him to lose balance and land on his chest. He rolled his body weight and managed to grab at the attacker’s ankle, yanking him downward. He straddled the stranger’s waist, striking him in the chin. He watched with satisfaction as his head bounced off the mud and Daryl swung again before he him square on the cheek. The stranger swung again, getting a hit on the redneck’s cheekbone. He was stunned for a moment before he shook his head. “Son of a bitch,” he growled as he hit him a few more times, satisfaction coming over him at the sickening crunch of the man’s orbital bone. Once the other stopped moving, Daryl stood, wiping his cheekbone as he looked around again, making sure no one heard. He got up and went back to the opening of the shed. He pulled the door open, “Beth,” he called again, his breath hitching when she moved and looked up at him.

He could practically see the happiness pour from her eyes. She actually smiled at him, and it made the man’s throat tighten. He pushed the feelings away and waved for her, “C’mon,” he said as he put out his hand.

When she grabbed it, he felt a weight leave his shoulders as he helped her over the rest of the bodies. He sighed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “We gotta go…I’m already late an’ the longer we stay the more people are gonna show up,” he said as he pushed the door closed, leaving it slightly ajar so the others would know that they could leave if they had the stones. “Follow my lead.” She nodded and stuck to his side as he went behind the shack, glad that there was enough space for them to squeeze through. He bent down, lacing his fingers together as he looked down at his hand, “Go on, girl,” he said as he watched her put her foot in his palms. He gave her a boost over the fence and he climbed after her, dropping to the ground with a grunt. “You alright?” he asked her, relieved when she nodded back. “Good…let’s go,” he took her hand again and started jogging through the trees, dodging the branches and practically pulling her along with him.

He arrived at the tree where the others had been for most of the day, panting and sweaty, the gash from the fight bleeding down his face. He pulled in a breath as he looked over at Beth who ran to Maggie, though she seemed hesitant to let go of his hand. He gave Maggie a small nod over her sister’s head before he turned and went to Rick, giving him his gun back.

‘We need to keep going,’ Rick said,though he gave Beth a smile before he started off, putting the duffle bag over his shoulder.

‘But what about the others?’ Beth asked as she pulled away from her sister. ‘There are others there…other people who were taken from their groups…We can’t just leave them there.’  
The sheriff sighed, ‘Beth…we can’t go back there…they’re not going to let us anywhere near that perimeter, not after what we did before we were captured…chances are they’re looking for us and the more distance we put between us is going to benefit us more..’

“He’s right,” Daryl spoke up.

‘Daryl!’ she shouted as she turned to him.

“What? You don’t think I wanna go in there guns blazin? I do…Hell I wanna take out every single one of those weirdos, but we ain’t gonna risk the group….not with them out numberin us ten to one, at least. Sorry, kid, but I’m gonna side with Rick on this. We can come back in a couplea days when they think we’re long gone.”

The group turned and walked away from Terminus, and headed East for hours, only stopping when they were sure there was enough distance between the compound and the group. The sun set and they were split up and on watch again. Daryl was seated in front of a small fire, mostly just to have something to stare at rather than the warmth. He didn’t flinch when someone settled beside him, knowing exactly who it was without even turning his head. “You should be sleepin,” he said quietly, his eyes not leaving the flames.

‘Can’t sleep,’ Beth said back, her legs pulled up against her chest, arms wrapped around them, her chin resting on her knees. ‘Everytime I close my eyes I keep seeing the inside of that trunk…’

Daryl clenched his teeth, his fists tightening as he furrowed his brow. “I looked for you.”

‘And you found me,’ she told him quickly, not wanting to perpetuate his guilt. ‘So enough with the pouting.’

“I ain’t pouting.”

‘Coulda fooled me.’

He grunted and turned his head from her.

‘You looked for me cause you missed me,’ she said as she bumped her shoulder against him.

“Shut up,” he grumbled.

‘Why’d you go through the whole compound lookin for me? I could have been dead.’

“What happened while you were there?” He asked, completely ignoring her question.

‘I was in that shed with a lot of other people…and three were taken out every morning and…they never came back. No one ever asked where they were taken or…why they were being taken but…every morning it was like clock work..’

He was quiet again, his eyes staring into the dancing flames. He let his mind wander for a few minutes, triyng to piece together why the people at the compound would take people away. He was silent for almost fifteen minutes before he answered her question, “I didn’t wanna be the last one standing,” he told her truthfully.

That answer seemed to be enough for her because she just nodded. Daryl turned his eyes back to the fire, his heart jumping a little as she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. The man looked down at her for a moment, shifting so that he was more comfortable and so she was leaned more against his chest than his shoulder. He turned his head, pulling in a breath as he let himself relax for the first time in years.


End file.
